Like millions of Americans, I attended one of the “No Kings” rallies this past weekend. Since then, the internet has been interneting with all sorts of hot takes, and people are divided. Among progressives, liberals, and leftists, I’ve seen a spectrum of takes:
Some folks are calling the rallies a success because of the massive turnout, saying that the events demonstrated a strong sense of solidarity and hope.
Others are calling the protests well-intentioned but useless for not having a clear call to action for people to rally around. The word “performative” has popped up in several analyses with folks saying that these gatherings were nothing more than an ego stroke for privileged liberals and white progressives who are more concerned about optics and reputation management than the actual fight for justice.
Some even called these events colonialist and harmful, saying that they praised the rotten-to-its-core U.S. empire and distracted from the real work of collective liberation.
Not that anyone asked, but here’s my take:
I think all of these perspectives are valid to one degree or another. I know that sounds non-committal, but stick with me.
On one hand, I do think these events gave people a sense of hope. There is something powerful about gathering with thousands and millions of people across the country to collectively acknowledge that things are not okay and need to change.
POWER IN NUMBERS
According to 50501, the organization that spearheaded these rallies, somewhere between 4 to 6 million people showed up this weekend in all 50 states. Read that again. All. 50. States. People gathered in rural red towns—not just large blue cities—to let their communities know that they’re tired of the current regime’s authoritarianism. That is not insignificant.
I live just north of Seattle and attended one of the smaller rallies in my hometown of Shoreline. It was moving to see roughly 2,000 members of my local community stand together in public solidarity. And while I can’t speak for any other gathering, at least in Shoreline, it wasn’t just about waving flags and signs on a street corner. Shoreline Area News reported that “participants donated many boxes worth of food and toiletry donations for Hopelink,” a local organization that supports low-income individuals with food programs, housing assistance, transportation access, and more.
I genuinely believe that counts for something. Personally, as a woman of color, I feel a little safer and more connected to my community as a result of this weekend. Is Shoreline perfect? Not at all. But this weekend reminded me that a significant number of people who live near me do care about where our nation is headed and are choosing to show up for their neighbors.
But a common trend I’ve noticed with these types of mass rallies and gatherings (especially the ones that are predominantly organized and led by white folks) is their tendency to give folks a false sense of accomplishment. Attendees feel inclined to pat themselves on the back afterward as if their justice work is now complete, simply because a lot of people showed up. But mass turnout doesn’t mean anything if it isn’t followed by mass action.
And that’s one of the reasons many left-leaning activists are calling these events useless, ineffective, and even harmful.
BEYOND THE FLAGS AND SIGNS: HOW TO REALLY SHOW UP
So how do we move beyond the hype? How do we create actual change?
We do it by recognizing that protests and rallies are only one element of the work and certainly not the final destination when it comes to community care. Protests must be accompanied by ongoing, intentional, everyday actions that build our communities—regardless of who’s in the White House or what the media is or isn’t telling us.
If you went home from the rallies this weekend thinking, “My work is done,” I’m going to invite you to do some sincere soul-searching and check your privilege. And then I’m going to invite you to find tangible, actionable steps you can take to stay engaged in the fight. Today. Tomorrow. The day after that. And for as many days as it takes beyond that to work toward collective liberation.
There are tons of ways to participate in creating meaningful communal care that aren’t performative or rooted in optics; this list merely scratches the surface:
Donate to mutual aid funds, legal aid funds, civil rights causes, or humanitarian organizations.
Volunteer at your local food bank, homeless shelter, or small farm.
Call or email your elected officials. Keep the pressure on so they realize their own jobs may be at stake if they don’t represent us well.
Share informational resources with your friends and neighbors so that if or when ICE shows up at someone's door, you’ll all be equipped to respond.
Make justice-oriented art. Use the power of storytelling and creativity to raise awareness and keep these social conversations going.
Attend local town halls and public forums where your voice can be heard.
Read and educate yourself about decolonization, landback, anti-racism, history, economics, and politics. As @theconsciouslee always says: education is elevation.
Spend your money strategically. Shop small and local when you can. Support businesses that are Black-, Indigenous-, Brown-, queer-, and/or women-owned and care about sustainability, ethics, and civil rights. Boycott companies and corporations that are destroying our planet and communities.
Talk to your friends, family, and coworkers. Keep important conversations about justice and liberation going—whether the media is still talking about it or not.
Vote! Vote in both national and local elections.
And always remember to stay humble, stay reflective, and give yourself grace when you mess up. Because the truth is, we will mess up. All of us. Working toward collective liberation in a society that is built on exploitative, capitalistic, and individualistic systems is a messy, nuanced, and complex endeavor. We're not always going to agree. But thankfully, our diversity is our strength, and the goal isn't perfection. It’s about showing up with honesty, teachability, and the repeated willingness to try again.
Together, we can build a kinder, more inclusive world. One day at a time.